Blog Post 1:
Coping with the Emotional Side of Fertility Treatment – A clinical psychologist’s perspective.
Discover how psychological therapy can support you through the emotional challenges of fertility treatment. Expert advice from a Clinical Psychologist with a specialist interest in fertility.
Fertility treatment is often described as a rollercoaster — full of hope, anxiety, and sometimes, heartbreak. While the medical side and physical process of IVF or other fertility treatments often takes centre stage, the emotional impact can be just as overwhelming, if not more so.
As a clinical psychologist based in Lancashire, I work with individuals locally and across the UK who are navigating the challenges of parenthood, infertility, and loss. In this article, I’ll share with you why fertility treatment can feel so emotionally demanding and how therapy can help.
Why Fertility Treatment Can Feel Overwhelming
The impact of fertility treatment on individuals and couples is multifaceted. While there are unique nuances in everyone’s story, common themes that contribute to feelings of overwhelm include:
- The waiting game: There is a lot of waiting – for tests and investigations, for the results of said tests. Waiting for appointment after appointment, procedure after procedure. It can feel like life is on hold, and it can be a struggle to think and plan too far ahead.
- Uncertainty: With the wait comes the uncertainty. Feeling uncertain about what the each step will bring and what the future will look like.
- Grief: Grief comes into this process on many levels. There can be grief for a journey into parenthood that never was. The grief for each stage that doesn’t seem to bring any answers or doesn’t work.
- Isolation: Feeling like friends or family may not fully understand what you’re going through.
- Physical effects: Side effects of medications used in certain treatments can impact mood and energy levels, adding more complications to this challenging process.
It is completely normal to feel anxious, sad, or even angry during fertility treatment. Many people say they feel like they “should” be coping better — but there is no right way to feel when facing fertility challenges.
How Therapy Can Help During Fertility Treatment
Psychological therapy provides a safe, confidential space where you can share your thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. As a HCPC registered clinical psychologist you can trust that you are receiving support from an appropriately qualified and experienced clinician. Further, as someone who has experienced fertility treatment first hand, I draw on both lived experience and psychological expertise to help make sense of your story and what might help you navigate it in a way that doesn’t compromise your mental wellbeing.
I help people across the UK work through:
- Grief and loss after unsuccessful treatments or pregnancy loss.
- Anxiety about the future or the next steps in the fertility journey.
- Relationship pressures that often arise when families are coping with fertility treatment together.
- Self-esteem and identity concerns, especially when dreams of parenthood feel out of reach.
Counselling for infertility can help you process emotions, build coping strategies, and feel more in control of your mental wellbeing. At Stork Psychology, I offer 1:1 in-person therapy in Lancashire as well as online sessions for anyone in the UK who needs support before, during or after IVF, or other fertility treatments.
Practical Coping Strategies for Fertility Treatment
Alongside professional therapy, there are some practical steps you can take to support your emotional wellbeing:
- Limit the research: The internet is both a blessing and a curse. Be mindful of how much time you spend researching and reading into the area. Insight and knowledge are powerful tools but it is easy to become overwhelmed and overloaded with information.
- Limit time on socials: Social media shows life dressed up as a fairy tale. It is not real. Limit time scrolling and make an effort to connect with people in a meaningful way, in real life. Connecting with others may help you feel less alone and sharing how you feel could give loved ones valuable insight and understanding of how they can support you.
- Try mindfulness or relaxation techniques: All the uncertainty and stress around fertility can prompt us to live in our heads, in an imagined future. Short guided mindfulness practices and help to ground us in the present.
- Seek support networks: Fertility support groups (online or in person) can help you connect with others on similar journeys.
- Allow yourself to take a break: Fertility treatment can be emotionally exhausting; taking breaks when needed is okay, and sometimes necessary.
Finding the Right Support for You
Every fertility journey is unique, so the emotional support offered needs to be adapted to reflect this. As a clinical psychologist I aim to understand your story and figure out strategies that would be helpful for you based upon that.
If you’re looking for emotional support during fertility treatments such as IVF in the Lancashire area, or online anywhere in the UK, Stork Psychology is here to help. Together, we can create a safe space for you to process your experiences and move forward with resilience and hope.
Conclusion
Fertility treatment is as much an emotional journey as a medical one. You don’t have to face it alone. Whether you’re looking for practical coping strategies or simply someone who understands, Stork Psychology can offer the support you need during this challenging time.
If you’d like to talk about therapy for infertility or emotional support during IVF or other fertility treatments, please contact us at: hello@storkpsychology.co.uk.
Key Words: Emotional support during IVF, therapy for infertility grief, counselling for infertility, psychological support for fertility
